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Psychopathology
Definitions of abnormality
Deviation from social norms
Definition:
A behaviour is seen as abnormal if it violates unwritten rules (social norms) about what is
acceptable in a particular society.
💡 Social norm: a set of unwritten expectations of behaviour that can vary from culture
to culture and change over time - clear line between desirable & undesirable
behaviours. Those who do not follow are socially deviant
Examples of norms that vary between cultures;
Acceptance of homosexuality
Psychopathology 1
, Modesty in clothing choices
Public displays of emotion/OR behaviour in social settings
Evaluation A03
A strength of deviation of social norms as a definition for abnormality is that it does not
impose a western view of abnormality on other non-western cultures. It is argued diagnosing
abnormality according to social norms is not ethnocentric; as it respects the cultural
differences and between societies, allowing for a more inclusive and culturally sensitive
approach to understanding and treating mental health disorders.
A limitation of deviation from social norms is that it can be inappropriate to define people
who move to a new culture as abnormal according to the new cultural norms. For example,
people from Afro-Caribbean background living in the UK are 7x more likely to be
diagnosed with schizophrenia than people living in the UK for the majority of their life. This
is due to category failure; a western definition of mental illness is applied to individual not
acting according to Western cultural norms. In Afro-Caribbean cultures, hallucinations and
conversations with angels may be considered part of a typical religious experience, so a
doctor in the West Indies would be less likely to diagnose schizophrenia based on these
symptoms than a doctor in the UK
Another limitation of deviation from social norms is that it can be seen as punishing people
who are trying to express their individuality or repressing people who do not conform to the
repressive norms of their culture. For example, the World Health Organisation declassified
homosexuality as a mental illness in 1992 and transgender health issues in 2019; these
recent changes may have followed the new social norms/social acceptance.
Failure to function adequately
Definition:
The individual is defined as abnormal if they cannot cope in their daily lives, including their
ability to interact with the world and meet their challenges
Psychopathology 2
, + This definition is focused on the individual and how they are managing in everyday life from
their perspective
Rosenhan & Seligman’s features of failure to function
Maladaptive Behaviour
Individuals behave in ways that go against their long-term interests
Personal anguish
The individual suffers from anxiety & distress
Observer discomfort
The individual’s behaviour causes distress to those around them
Irrationality
Unpredictability; It is difficult to understand the motivation behind the individuals
unexpected behaviour
Unconventionality
The individual’s behaviour does not match what is typically expected by society
Evaluation A03
A strength of failure to function is that it respects the individual and their own personal
experience, which is something that that other definition (such as statistical infrequency &
deviation from social norms) lacks, as these definitions of abnormality are based on what is
deemed normal to the rest of the population. This approach can be especially important in
cases where cultural differences may affect how mental health problems are perceived and
treated, as it can help to recognize and accept the diversity of human experiences and
cultures.
A limitation of failure to function is that abnormality does not always stop the person
functioning; The focus on how someone is coping of this definition may mean that some
abnormal behaviour is missed. People may appear fine to others as they fit into society and
have jobs and homes, but they may have distorted thinking which is causing them inner
distress that they hide, leading them to not be identified and get the support they need.
Psychopathology 3
Psychopathology
Definitions of abnormality
Deviation from social norms
Definition:
A behaviour is seen as abnormal if it violates unwritten rules (social norms) about what is
acceptable in a particular society.
💡 Social norm: a set of unwritten expectations of behaviour that can vary from culture
to culture and change over time - clear line between desirable & undesirable
behaviours. Those who do not follow are socially deviant
Examples of norms that vary between cultures;
Acceptance of homosexuality
Psychopathology 1
, Modesty in clothing choices
Public displays of emotion/OR behaviour in social settings
Evaluation A03
A strength of deviation of social norms as a definition for abnormality is that it does not
impose a western view of abnormality on other non-western cultures. It is argued diagnosing
abnormality according to social norms is not ethnocentric; as it respects the cultural
differences and between societies, allowing for a more inclusive and culturally sensitive
approach to understanding and treating mental health disorders.
A limitation of deviation from social norms is that it can be inappropriate to define people
who move to a new culture as abnormal according to the new cultural norms. For example,
people from Afro-Caribbean background living in the UK are 7x more likely to be
diagnosed with schizophrenia than people living in the UK for the majority of their life. This
is due to category failure; a western definition of mental illness is applied to individual not
acting according to Western cultural norms. In Afro-Caribbean cultures, hallucinations and
conversations with angels may be considered part of a typical religious experience, so a
doctor in the West Indies would be less likely to diagnose schizophrenia based on these
symptoms than a doctor in the UK
Another limitation of deviation from social norms is that it can be seen as punishing people
who are trying to express their individuality or repressing people who do not conform to the
repressive norms of their culture. For example, the World Health Organisation declassified
homosexuality as a mental illness in 1992 and transgender health issues in 2019; these
recent changes may have followed the new social norms/social acceptance.
Failure to function adequately
Definition:
The individual is defined as abnormal if they cannot cope in their daily lives, including their
ability to interact with the world and meet their challenges
Psychopathology 2
, + This definition is focused on the individual and how they are managing in everyday life from
their perspective
Rosenhan & Seligman’s features of failure to function
Maladaptive Behaviour
Individuals behave in ways that go against their long-term interests
Personal anguish
The individual suffers from anxiety & distress
Observer discomfort
The individual’s behaviour causes distress to those around them
Irrationality
Unpredictability; It is difficult to understand the motivation behind the individuals
unexpected behaviour
Unconventionality
The individual’s behaviour does not match what is typically expected by society
Evaluation A03
A strength of failure to function is that it respects the individual and their own personal
experience, which is something that that other definition (such as statistical infrequency &
deviation from social norms) lacks, as these definitions of abnormality are based on what is
deemed normal to the rest of the population. This approach can be especially important in
cases where cultural differences may affect how mental health problems are perceived and
treated, as it can help to recognize and accept the diversity of human experiences and
cultures.
A limitation of failure to function is that abnormality does not always stop the person
functioning; The focus on how someone is coping of this definition may mean that some
abnormal behaviour is missed. People may appear fine to others as they fit into society and
have jobs and homes, but they may have distorted thinking which is causing them inner
distress that they hide, leading them to not be identified and get the support they need.
Psychopathology 3
